This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. We are interested in the cell biology of neuronal synapses, with emphasis on synaptic vesicles, the special secretory organelles that store and release neurotransmitters. Our goal is to learn about synaptic transmission but also to advance general knowledge in the field of exo- and endocytosis. In these processes, protein machineries are used to traffic specific cargos within the cell through membrane remodeling, by both changing the composition of the membrane and by deforming the membrane. In order to study this process, we are taking a structural approach in order to understand how these protein complexes are formed.